NATO Science for Peace and Security - About SPS

Page Updated: 21-Nov-2007

Framework of the Programme

Contents
	Management Structure
	The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)
	The NATO-Russia Council (NRC)
	The Mediterranean Dialogue
	Contact Countries

Management Structure

NATO SPS Committee

Overall policy guidance for the Programme is provided by the NATO SPS Committee, which is composed of representatives of each NATO member country. The SPS Committee normally meets twice a year. One of those times the Committee meets in EAPC format, when the 26 NATO-country representatives are joined by colleagues representing 20 Partner countries. A third plenary meeting of the SPS Committee may be held each year if the Committee decides that such a meeting is needed. One of the meetings may be held in a NATO Partner country.
The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) SPS Committee meets twice a year, bringing together 27 representatives from the NATO countries and Russia. (See sections on EAPC and NRC below.)

SPS Committee Advisory Panels

The SPS Committee is assisted by Advisory Panels in its work of assessing and selecting applications for support grants. Panel members are chosen by the Committee from among the international scientific community. Associate Members from Partner countries also serve on the Advisory Panels. This direct involvement of the scientific community is invaluable in maintaining the integrity and high scientific standard of the Programme.

The four Advisory Panels are:

Programme operations

The Programme is managed by members of the NATO international staff of the Public Diplomacy Division at NATO Headquarters, Brussels. At the head of the Division is the Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, who is also Chairman of the SPS Committee. The Division has two Deputy Assistant Secretaries General, one of whom is in charge of SPS Cooperation.

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The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)

The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) was inaugurated on 30 May 1997. The EAPC is a cooperative mechanism which builds upon the successful political and military cooperation established under NATO's Partnership for Peace. It provides the overarching framework for political and security-related consultations in NATO, including collaboration within the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme. The 46 countries of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council are the 26 NATO member countries, plus 20 Partner countries, as follows:

NATO countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.

Eligible Partner countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Montenegro, Russian Federation, Serbia, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

Other Partner countries: Austria, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland

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The NATO-Russia Council (NRC)

The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) was established in 2002 at a summit meeting in Rome of Alliance leaders and the President of the Russian Federation. The NRC meets at least once a month at ambassadorial level and brings together the NATO Allies and Russia to identify and pursue opportunities for joint action as equal partners. The NRC Committee on Science for Peace and Security was established by the NATO-Russia Council with the aim of promoting, encouraging and coordinating cooperative projects involving experts from NATO countries and Russia on new threats and challenges to security bearing on scientific, environmental and technological topics of primary importance to both parties.

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The Mediterranean Dialogue

In 1996, NATO initiated a Dialogue with seven countries of the Mediterranean region, reflecting the Alliance's view that security in Europe is closely linked to security and stability in the Mediterranean. Known as the Mediterranean Dialogue, the countries are:

Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

In this context it has been agreed that scientists from the Mediterranean Dialogue countries may participate in the following collaborative activities in priority research areas - Science for Peace projects, Collaborative Linkage Grants, Advanced Training Courses, Advanced Study Institutes, Advanced Research Workshops. They should draw up applications in cooperation with scientists from one or more of the 26 NATO countries. The countries of the Mediterranean Dialogue can also participate in nationally funded activities, which include pilot studies, short-term projects and topical workshops.

Contact Countries

Contact countries are non-NATO, non-EAPC, non-Mediterranean Dialogue countries. Their participation in NATO SPS activities may be authorized by the ASG/PDD, after silence procedure approval by the NATO nations. Afghanistan is an active participant in the Virtual Silk Highway project - the SPS project which provides high-speed Internet access to the academic communities of the Caucasus and Central Asia. Afghanistan is thus eligible to take part in the technical, training and educational activities which are associated with this project.

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(1) Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name